


Moments

by MaraJade4S



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-29
Updated: 2016-09-08
Packaged: 2018-08-11 21:13:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7907836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaraJade4S/pseuds/MaraJade4S
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of prompts originally posted on Tumblr. Each chapter will be a different prompt, so check each for a short summary.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pirates in plaid shirts are hot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [laschatzi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/laschatzi/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laschatzi asked for Captain Charming + "You look pretty hot in plaid." so this little fic was born. Enjoy!

He feels a bit awkward at first. The pattern of his new shirt is definitely not his style - he’s more prone to dark shirts with flower patterns, himself - but Emma had chosen this outfit for him, so not wearing it is not even an option. His heart gives a painful lurch for a moment - he doesn’t even remember the last time he’d received a gift. And this one’s from his Swan, which makes it all the more important to him.

It’s not that he doesn’t like the material - it’s quite soft and, more importantly, it will keep him warm in the cool Maine autumn. But it’s blue, with red stripes, and it’s a much lighter colour than he would have normally chosen for himself. 

Sighing, he dons the new wool jacket (also a gift from Emma), takes his set of keys from the counter and heads out. In the end, he reckons it doesn’t matter much what he wears as long as his Swan is happy. And that’s why he’s headed to the station now. He’d promised her to accompany David on patrol today so she could take the rest of the afternoon off and relax in a strange place called “spa”. He hadn’t understood much of her explanation, but apparently it was a place for relaxation. And gods know she needs it more than anything. 

He gets to the station in time to see Emma’s bug pull around the curb and he frowns a bit. She should have left half an hour ago, which means something must have happened to delay her. A bit worried, he makes his way inside in a bit of a haste. 

“Ready to go, Your Highness?” 

“Just a second, Killian.” But the minute David turns around and his eyes fall on the former pirate, the deputy freezes, mouth agape. And stares. Then closes his mouth and opens it again. He’s clearly at a loss for words because no sounds emerge despite him moving his mouth. 

It makes Killian a bit nervous and uncharacteristically shy. It’s the shirt, he’s sure of it. “Emma gave me this shirt”, he explains with a weak voice, scratching apprehensively behind his ear. 

David just stares at him a few seconds longer, then he clears his throat. “You look pretty hot in plaid.” 

It’s Killian’s turn to stare at the prince, eyes wide as saucers, a humiliating warmth spreading across his face. He’s been long enough in this realm to know what hot means; he’s also aware it’s the kind of word he’d like Emma to say to him. But it’s clear David hadn’t meant to blurt it out because he’s shocked as well. 

Ever the first to recover, Killian smirks at the blundering prince. “You’re not the Charming I’d like to hear this from”, he says throwing a wink for good measure. 

David frowns at him in annoyance, then picks up his jacket. “Let’s go, Hook”, retorts the prince, rolling his eyes. “We have a lot of ground to cover.”

~~~~

 

“I see you wore the plaid shirt today”, says Emma smiling up at him. He hasn’t seen her since this morning and she’s a sight for sore eyes. She must feel the same, because she moves into his space, hands coming to rest on his chest, gently caressing him.

She’s pleased and he’s pleased to have pleased her. “Aye, darling”, he confirms while his arm moves around her waist to draw her closer.

Emma’s eyes drop to his chest, hands still smoothing inexistent folds in the garment. “You didn’t seem very happy with it when I showed it to you.” Her voice is soft, but he can catch a small undercurrent of mirth in it.

He draws her closer still. “You’re right, darling. But today your father said I look hot in plaid.”

She barks a laugh at that, then raises her eyes back to his. His breath catches because she’s looking at him like he’s the sun and the moon, and her pupils are blown wide. “You are hot in plaid”, she utters breathlessly. It’s merely a whisper, but the words go straight to his core and warmth spreads in his limbs. He’s powerless to resist her when she’s looking at him like this. Not that he’d ever want to resist her anyway.

“Then maybe I should take it off. Make sure I don’t rip it”, he issues the challenge he knows she’s just as powerless as him to deny. 

Emma licks her lips, gaze still locked on his, and slowly moves her fingers to unbutton his new favourite shirt. “Maybe you should.”


	2. Looks like we’re gonna be stuck here for a while.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat-sophia asked for nr. 13 (“Looks like we’re gonna be stuck here for a while.”) and I was really happy to made it in time for her birthday. She's such a lovely cupcake! This is a CS AU fic with Princess Emma and Captain Hook. Rated T. Enjoy!

Princess Emma had always been a bit adventurous. Too adventurous for her own good, if you asked her parents. But she loved to explore and discover new things, to rather spend her time outdoors than in a stuffy palace room. It was beyond her ability to sit still, no matter how many times her mother had chastised her for her unprincess-like behavior. 

And now, with such a juicy piece of information on her hands, she could not possibly ignore it and not act on it. Her mother might get a few white hairs again (Gods know she’d been complaining about this ever since Emma had been five), but it’s a price she decided she was willing to pay. Not to mention that she was willing to sit through the inevitable reprimand if her parents ever found out what she was about to do. And at 17, she had been through her fair share of scoldings. 

But honestly, there might be a hidden pirate treasure somewhere close! She had never heard of anything more exciting in all her life. When she had heard the raunchy sailors talk about it in the tavern (the unruly establishment she was not supposed to set foot in), she could barely contain her excitement. They did not have a lot of information, just that the dreaded pirate Blackbeard had been spotted close to the coast several nights in the past few months. And with no obvious reason for his presence in her kingdom, people had started to talk. It was also rumoured that Blackbeard had one of the vastest treasures on the Seven Seas, surpassed only by Captain Hook’s. But since no one had ever seen the two fortunes, the final verdict was yet to be delivered on this particular issue. Just as the verdict of who of the two was the greatest pirate captain to hoist a sail, was still undecided. 

What had truly given her the shivers was the fact that Blackbeard had been seen in that particular area. She knew it well - it was one of the places where she had played many times as a young adolescent. And the coastline had many hidden nooks and crevices. She’d always suspected that that particular area hid an underground cave, so to hear about the pirate lurking nearby made her feel confident about her previous suspicion.

And thanks to him, she had a better idea where the underground cave might be. Although she’d never been to one before, she knew of them from Anna, her friend. A princess in her own right, Anna’s parents were more lax with their daughter. But maybe that was because all their expectations were pushed on their eldest child, Elsa. As an only offspring, Emma was not so lucky as to be allowed to roam free. It mattered not, because she’d always done just as she’d wanted, regardless. 

As always when she set her mind to something, Emma wasted no time in making preparations for her newest adventure. A clean set of clothes, a water jug, some buns and two apples, all thrown in a leather satchel she was hoping would protect the content from moisture, Emma planned her escapade diligently. She was going to go out at the first rays of dawn, as soon as she had gotten some breakfast to go from Granny. And she would hurry to the beach as early as possible, then hope she’d have enough time to explore the area for anything that might resemble a hidden entrance to a cave. 

But like any well thought-out plan, it didn’t unfold quite like it was meant to. Princess Emma managed to leave the castle only by midmorning, too late for this alteration to her plans to be anything than highly annoying. Annoyance that turned into a bit of frustration as the hours ticked by and she was no closer to finding anything resembling an entrance. As early afternoon turned into late afternoon, she decided to call it quits and head home, right after checking the cliffs around the bend. The conglomeration didn’t seem like much so she was willing to spend a few more minutes on it, just to scrape the place off her list. She would look them over, then go home and start fresh tomorrow.

But fate had other plans once again. Just as she was turning back, Emma saw a tiny rivulet moving in a peculiar direction. Curiosity piqued, Emma followed the trail, only to see it come from ...rocks. Or rather, a rock formation, one that conveniently covered a small entrance. It was so small that a moderate sized male could barely make it through, but she’d fit right it. 

Not one to postpone anything, Emma went in. It took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust to the poor lighting, but when they did, her jaw dropped open. The walls were covered from halfway up with cases upon cases. They had to be filled to the brim, because various jewel necklaces and pearl strings hanged from the edges. Her heart started hammering in her chest - it was just as she’d imagined all those years ago, while still a little girl reading pirate adventures books. 

She was so giddy she could barely contain her excitement, so close to screaming in joy. That’s why when a box fell to the ground (making the most horrible racket in the silence of the cave) and the accompanying “Bloody hell!” in a male voice penetrated her senses, she jumped up in fright, shrieking quite unladylike. She turned around to notice a young man staring at her. He was dressed head to toe in black, leather vest and pants clinging tightly to his well shaped body, a bit of scruff covering his face. He was incredibly handsome, her mind screamed at her, while some small part of her brain told her to be careful. His most striking feature were his blue eyes - it may be dark inside, but they were shining so bright, she couldn’t help but notice them. 

He was clearly just as surprised to see her there, but he recovered in record time. His gaze swept over her from head to toe and, as he took in her figure and form fitting clothes, a lazy grin spread across his face. His hand went to his belt buckle, and Emma couldn’t help but follow the movement with her eyes. When she raised them again, it was to the sight of the strange man watching her, a hungry spark in his eyes. It should have scared her, or at the very least make her feel uncomfortable, but all it did wa make her feel a bit feverish and hot. Wanted. She was not sure she wanted to feel that way. 

“Who are you?” asked Emma completely annoyed with herself and her traitorous reactions.

“How do you think I am, lass?” answered the man in front of her cocking an eyebrow. And that’s when she saw it - his left arm raised towards her, a muscular arm ...one that ended in a hook.

It couldn’t be, thought Emma suppressing a shiver. “You can’t be Captain Hook”, she said defiantly.

“And why ever not?” asked the man, a tiny trace of amusement in his voice.

Emma huffed. Did he think her a simpleton? “Because you can’t be older than 23 and that’s much too young to be the most ruthless pirate out there.”

Apart for being annoyed at being outed, the man looked actually pleased with himself. “They say I’m the most ruthless?” he grinned unabashedly, making Emma think he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. Really? What was wrong with her? She couldn’t think that way about a total stranger! One that by all accounts was a thief come to cheat her out of her treasure.

“They say that about Captain Hook. You’re not Captain Hook!” her eyes flashed indignantly at him. 

Clearly taking her chastisement in stride, the man started to laugh. It was a beautiful, rich sound, one that washed over her in soothing waves. By the time she came back to the present, he was right in front of her, hook raised and pushing a lock of hair over her shoulder. 

“I assure you, lass, I am.” His voice was husky and soft, mesmerizing her for a moment, while blue eyes peered deep into her soul. Taking a deep breath, she caught a powerful male scent mixed with seawater. It seemed as if he were all around her, overloading her senses. So when the cool water brushed her calves above the boots, she shrieked. 

“Bloody hell!” he cursed loud. She was so embarrassed at her mishap, she couldn’t look up at him. When she did, the man didn’t even seem to know she was there anymore. He was focused at some point beyond her and when she turned around, she felt another wave wash over her. She trembled and heard the man swear under his breath again.

“We should go, lass, right now”, he told her, a sense of urgency to his words. 

That snaps her out of it. “No, I’m not leaving without my treasure.”

“Yes, we are, Princess” he ground out, all trace of humour gone from his face, to be replaced by fierce determination. 

If she had dared to be honest with herself, Emma would have been impressed by his autoritative tone of voice, but she was used to it so she didn’t budge an inch. “I will not leave so you can have all the treasure to yourself! And don’t call me princess!”

“We’re both leaving, love, right now.” He grabbed her arm and Emma turned around to jerk out of his reach. But he caught her by the elbow and he was holding her fast, eyes narrowed at her. Through gritted teeth, he added: “High tide’s coming. We’ll want to be out of here while we still can.” 

It took her a moment to understand what he was saying, but then her eyes went wide and she looked around her in fright. He was right; the water level had risen considerably since she had come inside. “Right”, she acquiesced. 

She started towards the spot she’d used as an entrance when another wave, a large one, came in with such a force it knocked her feet from under her and took her under. Cold, black water covered her from everywhere as she tried to rise above the water, but she couldn’t see anything. She felt the pull of the current, dragging her towards the open sea, and started to panic. A strong arm pulled her out, the other settling around her waist and dragging her up. She was plastered to his chest, the entire length of her body close to his, and he was holding her tight. She sputtered, coughing out water. He held her steady though and she could feel strong muscles at her back and around her, making her feel oddly protected. “I’ve got you, lass”, he said soothingly.

He was slowly dragging her backwards, towards the back of the cave and she just clung to him. He could have been dragging her anywhere at this point, but she didn’t care. He was taking her away from the water that was growing more and menacing, each wave getting closer and closer to them. 

He stopped close to the wall, releasing his hold on her, and Emma felt a stab of panic at his action. She breathed in and closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing heart. He must have seen something on her face, though, because he got close again and grabbed her arm. She latched onto his hand, expecting him to laugh at her. Not ten minutes earlier she’d been harping at him, and now here she was, clinging so embarrassingly to him. He didn’t say anything though, just stepped closer to her. 

“Looks like we’re gonna be stuck here for a while”, he said calmly, as if there was nothing to worry about and being caught in a cave during high tide was an everyday occurrence. She started to tremble and he tightened his grip on her. “Let’s go up on that ledge. It should be high enough to keep us safe.” He motioned towards his right, where she could make out the slab of granite he was referring to. 

Nodding her head, she started towards it, hand going to her back to grab the backpack she had brought along. She came up empty, though; the bag clearly having been lost to the waves. 

“What is it?” he asked, noticing her lack of progress.

“My backpack ...I had a change of clothes and some food with me, but I lost it.”

His eyes started to sweep across the cave without saying anything else, and it was definitely not what she would have expected from him. She searched, too, but it was too dark to spot anything. After a few minutes, he went towards her left and picked up the object in question with his hook. Back by her side, he handed her the backpack. “Thank you”, she managed to choke out. 

“Don’t mention it, lass”, he waved her words aside, while gesturing at the same time towards the wall. The meaning was clear - they didn’t have much time and they had lost enough of it as it was. The ledge was almost a full meter above her head and she was not sure how she would manage to make the climb, but it was their best hope to make it through this. She put the backpack over her shoulders and started to climb, assessing each grip before pushing herself up. She made it in less than five minutes, but her hands ached. Safe above, she looked down at her partner’s progress. He was making good time, incredible time for one with only one hand, but he still had some distance to cover and the water was getting closer. So she extended her arm to help him up for the last portion. 

Then they were both safe, backs to the cold wall and eyes on the rising tide. Emma looked at their situation in apprehension. She was caught in a cave with a strange man, one that was too handsome to ignore - and that had just saved her life a few minutes ago, for crying out loud - she was wet and cold and there was no doubt in her mind her mother would send the guards to find her soon. A shiver passed through her, just thinking about her mother’s scolding. 

The man misinterpreted her shiver: “If you’ve got a change of clothes in that satchel, lass, you should change now. You’ll catch a cold otherwise.” He was not looking directly at her, but she could see he was watching her by the angle of his head. She wanted to tell him there was no way she would disrobe in front of a stranger, a pirate captain if he was to be believed, but she swallowed the words back. He was right. She would catch a cold if she stayed like this. So she nodded.

Surprisingly, he proved to be a gentleman, because he turned his back on her as much as he could on the narrow ledge. Emma didn’t waste any time and changed her clothes as fast as she could. Luckily for her, the contents of the backpack had remained dry until Hook had retrieved it. They lapsed into an uneasy silence after that. 

When she couldn’t take it anymore, she blurted out without preamble: “So, what’s your real name?”

He chuckled low in his throat. “Killian Jones, milady. But most people call me by my more colourful moniker.” 

“Hook”, she said expelling a breath, eyeing him speculatively. She had been too angry before to pay close attention to what he had been saying, but now he saw it. Or rather, she didn’t see it. The lie. His eyes were bright, but he was not lying to her. He really did believe he was Captain Hook. But that would mean she had been talking to one of the most dangerous pirates all along. She blushed a deep crimson at the thought; he didn’t comment on it, save for the eyebrow that went up as if on it’s own. 

It was actually all it took for them to start a conversation and the banter flowed easily between the two of them. It was how she found out how he went into piracy and how he later got the hook, and if she were being honest with herself, she was not sure she wouldn’t have done the same in his place. And it was how he learnt she was this kingdom’s princess, the only child and heir to Queen Snow and King David. That she craved adventure and freedom, things that didn’t mix with her duty to her subjects at all. 

They shared the buns, the apples, and water she brought with her. And when the high tide passed, they were both surprised to realize how much of their lives they’d shared with one another and how little the wanted to put a stop to their acquaintance. 

Once outside, she struggled to find a reason to see him again. So his next words caught her by surprise again: “I hope you will do me the honour of meeting me here in one month’s time.”

Her breath hitched. He was a pirate and she was a princess and it could never be between them, but the pull she felt towards him was too great to deny. His eyes were blue and mesmerizing and not for the first time in the last hours, she was lost in them.

“Wonderful!” he grinned. It took her a moment to realize she had actually given him an answer. While her mind had been contemplating him, her body had acted all on its own and she had nodded. Maybe it was meant to be, she thought. Her mother had always told her that she would know when she’d meet the right man. And right now, she felt it in every fiber of her being.

Killian bent over her hand in a flourish and kissed her knuckles. Still prostrated in front of her, he raised his eyes to catch hers. “I will find you, Emma. I will always find you.”


End file.
